


human

by jackklineisbaby



Series: Marvel [3]
Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Endgame didn't happen, How Do I Tag, Just angst, Parent Tony Stark, Peter Benjamin Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker Angst, Suicide Attempt, Tony Stark Has A Heart, can't stress it enough, i am so so sorry, infinity war didn't happen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-30
Updated: 2019-04-30
Packaged: 2020-02-10 02:18:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18650911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jackklineisbaby/pseuds/jackklineisbaby
Summary: No one notices how depressed and withdrawn Peter has become. He starts to stay out after his nightly watches a little bit later. Steve and Bruce walk in -more like walk towards- something they weren't supposed to see.





	human

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSL0sDlscrc

Peter Benjamin Parker had been taken under the Avengers' wings, and Aunt May allowed it. He was allowed to stay with her if he needed or wanted to; he was also allowed to visit. The 'headquarters' or whatever they were called happened to be closer to the school, which also made it way more convenient. He would take nightly watches for at least a couple hours, just sitting and jumping around the city to make sure nothing bad happened on his watch. If something did, he could handle it. It's only happened a couple times. The Avengers -and hell, teachers and friends, too- didn't seem to realize how depressed and withdrawn Peter had become. They probably assumed it was 'teenage angst.' But it really wasn't. He felt like ever since the spider bite that made him who he was now, no one knew the real him, no one wanted to hang around him, or he was just plain boring to others. Hell, Tony Stark didn't even hug him. He mistook him leaning over him as a hug, when it was just Tony opening the door. Talk about awkward.

So, here he was. Nightly watch was over. He was in normal clothes, now. Standing on top of one of the tallest buildings, near the building he was living in now, he was staring at the pavement. His duffel bag was sitting on the ground next to the ledge he was currently standing on top of. His eyes were filled to the brim of tears not yet spilled, making his vision blurry. He was really doing this. He was finally ridding himself of the curse of having his stupid senses and stupid Spider-Man. He wanted it to be over. He couldn't talk to anyone about it.

Right as he was about to jump, a hand grabbed onto his wrist and pulled him off the ledge, pulling him into a strong chest and embrace. Peter didn't even fight. Instead, he wrapped both arms around the person and openly sobbed into the fabric of the shirt. Hands rubbed his back, a voice shushed his sobbing.

Steve.

The man who Peter now knew was Steve Rogers picked up him, and once again, Peter didn't fight. Being thrown over a strong shoulder almost comforted him.  _Someone cares_ ran through his head.  _Someone cares enough to stop me._ He felt himself being carried down from the roof.  _Most likely to Mr. Stark. Great._

What felt like an hour later, but in reality was probably five to fifteen minutes later, Peter was set down on a couch. When he rubbed at his eyes and brought his legs to his chest, he could see most of the team was standing around him. Vision and Wanda were standing against the wall. Bruce was barely visible in the corner he was standing in, arms crossed across his chest, staring at the floor. Steve and Tony were whispering to each other a few feet in front of Peter. Natasha was near Wanda, a distraught look on her face. Clint, Sam, and Bucky were standing near Steve and Tony, Sam looking like he was about to cry. Rhodey and Thor were standing in both doorways, leaning against the frame.

"Peter."

Tony's soft, yet firm voice snapped him out of observing the people and their positions in the room. He felt trapped. He felt trapped and he was scared. What if he had a panic attack in front of everyone? What if he freaked out and couldn't get out of the room to hide? What if, what if, what if. His arms tightened around his legs, making Peter seem to fold like paper. The eyes on him were too much. The stares and the disapproving -he doubted it was that, but at the moment, that seemed to be the only word to describe it- looks that were pointed at him. Steve's arms crossing against his chest and Tony's hands on his hips made Peter even more scared.

" _What_ were you thinking? How do you think  _I_ felt when Bruce ran up to me and to tell  _me_ that Steve caught  _my **kid**_ before he  _jumped_ _?!_ I'll tell ya something, Pete. It's  _ **NOT** FUN! _I didn't  _know_ you felt this way! It  _doesn't help_ that you  _didn't_ tell me so I could help or get  _you_ help! How long have you felt this way, Pete?"

Peter didn't answer. He stared straight ahead at the wall visible between Steve and Tony, a neutral look on his features. No shrug, no words spoken, no sign of even  _hearing_ Tony and what he said. That didn't sit well with Tony. His stance got even more tense as he moved a hand to rub down his face. Peter could tell he wanted to yell, but the presence of the other people held him back for now.  _For now, for now, for now_ was all Peter heard repeating in his head, bouncing off his skull as the room remained silent.

Tony snapped.

"I could've  _HELPED_ you!  _WE_ could've  _HANDLED_ this  _TOGETHER!_ " Bucky, Sam, Vision, Clint, and Wanda snapped their heads towards Tony, a clear signal that he fucked up by yelling. The others remained impartial as Peter seemed to be processing the words directed at him. 

_He doesn't care._ _He wishes you jumped._ _You're an annoying sixteen year old who doesn't know when to leave him alone. The others wished you jumped. The others and Tony want you dead._

Peter shook his head and buried his face in his knees, trying to get the voices to stop.  _Stop, stop, stop **stop!**_ The eyes on him, the voices, the glances, the postures of everyone, the fact that people were blocking him inside the room. He wanted to leave. He felt the urge to throw up, but he stopped himself from ruining the carpet. Why didn't Tony stop yelling? Why did he  _yell_ in the first place? That showed how much he cared. That showed how much he cared about Peter. He hated him, no  _despised_ him enough to yell at the actions he didn't go through with.

"I'm sorry," Peter choked out, his voice muffled by his clothes before he looked up. "I'm sorry. I didn't think  _you guys_ would care. I'm sorry."

The silence was so deathly that you could hear a gnat flying around the room, or a pin hit the carpet. The  _carpet._ It hurt Peter. He wanted them to say something -anything- but they didn't. No words were spoken. Peter was left trembling and crying -when did he start crying again? He couldn't remember- on the couch.

"Pete-" Wanda started, but he cut her off.

"I'm sorry that all the news reports get to me.  _Spider-Man_ is a  _Menace_. They called me a menace, Tony! Do you have  _any idea_ how that feels? A sixteen year old boy is now a menace for wanting to save people. Ned is one of my only friends. My teachers don't acknowledge me when I know the answer! _No one_ pays attention to me! You all are busy with work or training or  _anything_ that isn't me! I know your attention can't be on me twenty-four-seven, but it hurts. No one bothers to ask, 'Pete, how'd your day go?' No one asks me if I'm hurt _emotionally_. That's the thing. I heal quickly _physically,_ but have any of you considered my emotional state? That- that  _bite_ made me like this. That  _bite_ is the reason I'm here!"

So many words were said with hatred, and were spat out. Spider-Man. Menace. No one. Anything. Emotionally. Physically. Bite. Most of those words were what made him... him. No one cared about him, in his opinion.

Tony walked forward, kneeling down on the floor, prying one of Peter's hands into his own. He squeezed it tightly, almost a little  _too_ tightly, but any physical contact was better than none.

"Pete. Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you tell us? Bottling it up isn't healthy," the older man whispered, his expression one of hurt, anguish. "You could've come to any of us. We would've listened and helped you."

Peter broke. The dam broke. His heart broke. He unfolded himself and clung onto Tony, crying into his neck. His sobs were heard throughout the whole room, and that broke everyone's heart (Vision felt something, probably sadness. He didn't know, yet.) Slowly, everyone left the room. The only people left were Steve and Tony. The former had moved to sit on the couch, a hand on Peter's shoulder. The sobbing had quieted down into crying, which turned into whimpering. The two older men were fighting back tears of their own. Steve couldn't remember the last time he had cried. Tony couldn't really remember, either.

The youngest of the three was completely and utterly exhausted. His eyes had closed and his grip had practically disappeared. His breaths were deep and shallow. He wanted to sleep forever. And he said that.

"I wan' sleep."

"You can sleep, Pete. You can sleep," Steve whispered, squeezing his shoulder lightly. "Tony'll take you to bed."

 

Once Peter had changed by himself -it would be weird if Tony helped. The both of them knew that- he was laying in his bed; Tony was sitting on the edge, a hand running idly through Peter's brown locks. They would talk about this in the morning. Right now, Peter needed sleep. They all did. As Tony left to get up, a small, cold hand grabbed his fingers.

"Stay? At least until I fall asleep?"

"Of course, Pete."

Tony listened to the wish. He stayed long after Peter fell asleep. He eventually left, but he wanted to make sure he was okay and stayed asleep. He wouldn't let anyone or anything hurt or kill the boy. Peter Benjamin Parker was going to stay alive and well for as long as Tony could say so. The talk in the morning would be hard on Peter, most likely, but that wasn't until the morning. That wasn't until long in the future, for Peter, at least, because he was asleep.

He would stay happy. He would stay safe.

He would stay alive.

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry for any spelling mistakes! I may make a second chapter to this. I don't know yet.


End file.
